Snapshot Sermons

That’s the challenge Huntington Willard, director of Duke University’s Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy, has set his doctoral students. In addition to their dissertation, they are to submit a “snapshot dissertation,” 30-60 second video summing up the hundreds of pages and thousands of hours they’ve poured into it.

You can hear the squeals already, can’t you? I have two friends who completed scientific doctorates, and over the years I must have asked them a dozen times each to explain their work to me. Despite many glassy-eyed hours, I’m still none the wiser.

“I’ve always been convinced of the need for scholars to be able to speak ‘in plain English’ to people outside of the academy,” said Willard. “I teach [students] to imagine explaining what they’re learning to their parents or grandparents.” It’s all part of Duke’s Scholars and Public initiative to forge greater connections between the academy and the community.

For the same reason, no matter how much it makes us squeal, preachers (and teachers) should be “forced” (or should force themselves) to sum up their sermon (or lesson) in one sentence. For example, here’s a “Snapshot Sermon” on Psalm 2:

As God offers peace to his enemies before He defeats them, embrace His Son of Peace before He becomes your Judge.

The main points of the sermon were:

The Lord has multiple enemies (1-3)

The Lord will defeat His enemies (4-9)

The Lord offers peace to His enemies (10-12)

We want to compare the snapshot sermon with the main points and ask:

Is it comprehensive? Does the summary cover all the main points of the sermon?

Is it unified? Do the different parts make up one whole or just lots of disconnected parts?

Is it short? Can I say this in fewer words without sacrificing the meaning?

Is it purposeful? Does it explain the point, the end, the aim of the sermon?

Is it worth it? Sometimes this exercise reveals that for all the good things in the sermon, there’s actually no real substance in it or no great point to it.

Apart from preventing some sermons being preached that should never be preached, this exercise also reveals if we’ve really mastered our subject. It also helps the preacher hone his material, cutting out anything that doesn’t connect with and support the snapshot. In the act of preaching the snapshot helps the preacher to achieve disciplined focus, forward momentum, and fitting climax.

This is very similar or the same as what Dr. Haddon Robinson has been calling, “The Homiletical Idea” for decades. It’s the method in which I was taught to preach.

http://headhearthand.org/blog/ David Murray

Yes, it’s similar.

http://www.compete4christ.blogspot.com Kurt Earl

I think using Prezi greatly aides in this process as well.

http://headhearthand.org/blog/ David Murray

Interesting suggestion. Prezi is an amazing tool.

http://www.google.com http://www.google.com

The combination would sometimes knocck the imbibers out for a couple
oof days. Unusual for any fish species, with the females, as they get older, their sex can change
to male. Find Indian astrology wit horoscope and live astrological prediction , aries horoscope, daily,
monthly, yearly analysis oof birth chart and individual prediction
of all planet with gemstone.

David Murray

Pastor . Professor . Author

All opinions expressed are my own and do not necessarily represent Puritan Reformed Seminary or the Free Reformed Church.